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Pandemic Funding Streams Are Down to Their Last Trickle, JeffCo Warns
The end is near. Well, the end of Jefferson County’s ARPA funds, at least. While meeting in Bessemer on Thursday, commissioners allocated more than $1.6 million in federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, also called the COVID-19 stimulus package. The plan was a $1.9 trillion economic stimulus bill passed by the 117th U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden on March 11, 2021, to speed up the country’s recovery from the economic and health effects of the pandemic and recession.
News Media Need a Plan for Dealing With Kamala Harris Slander
Do you know how long it took after Joe Biden withdrew from the presidential race for some Donald Trump supporters to publicly slam Kamala Harris with sexist and racist criticisms? Trick question. It started before he withdrew. And it’s not going to stop anytime soon. Ethical news media have to...
Morgan Road Motorists Might Be Moving on Down the Road Faster If New MPH OK’d
Motorists on Morgan Road soon may find a change when driving from Helena to Bessemer and back as the Jefferson County Commission moved a through-road agreement to the agenda of Thursday’s commission meeting with the intention of raising the speed limit to 55. Commission President Jimmie Stephens said in...
Birmingham Applies for $2.6 Million in Federal Grants for Eviction Prevention Services, Police Tech Equipment
The Birmingham City Council on Tuesday voted to apply for two federal grants: one to help residents facing eviction and another for computer equipment for the police department. The first application is for $2.5 million through the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Eviction Protection Grant Program.
Pro-Palestinian Groups Call Birmingham Council’s Ceasefire Resolution ‘Lukewarm’
The Birmingham City Council on Tuesday passed a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza after months of lobbying from local pro-Palestinian groups. In a joint statement released Wednesday, four of those groups called the measure “lukewarm,” saying it failed to add important context about the bloodshed in that region.
Democratic Nominee Kelvin Datcher Could Sidestep General Election and Go Straight to the House
Kelvin Datcher will find out by the end of the month whether he’ll face a Republican opponent in the Oct. 1 general election for House of Representatives District 52 or be named to the position early. Republican candidate Carlos Crum dissolved his campaign last week, and the Republican Party...
Birmingham City Council Passes Gaza Ceasefire Resolution
The Birmingham City Council on Tuesday passed a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. The 141-square-mile territory has experienced historic levels of civilian deaths since Israel began a military offensive in response to the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, more than 38,700 people have died in the action.
Kelvin Datcher Wins Runoff for House District 52 Democratic Nomination
UPDATED — Kelvin Datcher greeted more than 100 supporters at Hemings in Thomas Jefferson Tower Tuesday night after he defeated Frank Woodson for the Democratic nomination to be the District 52 representative in the Alabama Legislature. “It’s overwhelming to think that people would trust you with one of the...
Birmingham Mayor Announces New Efforts to Curb Violent Crime After 7 Die in Weekend Shootings
Again, Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin came before the City Council to speak about violent crime just days after multiple shootings claimed the lives of multiple people. And again, the mayor expressed the frustration among city leaders with the obstacles they face in prosecuting these crimes. This time it was seven...
Voters Go to Polls for Runoff in House D52 Seat
Voters are headed to the polls today to determine which Democrat — Kelvin Datcher or Frank Woodson — will be the Democratic nominee to fill the Alabama House of Representatives District 52 seat recently left vacant after former Rep. John Rogers resigned and pleaded guilty to federal corruption charges.
More Weather Sirens Coming to Jefferson County, Thanks to Neighborly Gesture
The benevolence of a neighboring county will likely result in greater safety for Jefferson County residents when dangerous weather is moving in. At the request of Emergency Management Agency Director Jim Coker and Deputy Director Chris Tate, the Jefferson County Commission approved funds for the installation of at least 19 tornado sirens that were given to Jefferson County by Shelby County.
BW’s Crenshaw Recognized With NFPW National Awards
Solomon Crenshaw Jr., a regular writer for BirminghamWatch, recently won a third-place award and honorable mention in the National Federation of Press Women’s Communicator’s Awards for two of his BirminghamWatch pieces, along with a first-place award for a story published by the Bending the Arc Project, among other awards.
No Palm Reading and Fortune Telling: Quirk in Jefferson County Zoning Law Catches Commissioners’ Attention
Fortune telling and palmistry found their way into the discussion of the Jefferson County Commission’s committee meeting on Tuesday. Among the zoning cases presented by Development Services was one in which the owners of an Oak Grove property sought a change to C-1 commercial zoning to allow for future commercial use. The agenda entry included several things for which the property could not be used, including private clubs, helistops, fortune telling and palm reading.
Birmingham Officials Block Off East Lake Intersections in Hope of Reducing Crime
A pilot Safe Streets Initiative launched Monday in East Lake is blocking off key entry and exit points in an attempt to curb crime. Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin on Tuesday gave the City Council an update on the initiative. He said it uses barricades to block entry and exit points to the neighborhood, which has been plagued with a series of high-profile shootings in the past few months. City officials believe the barriers will prevent drive-by shootings and perpetrators’ evading law enforcement.
Birmingham Council to Reconsider Automated Car Wash Moratorium
The Birmingham City Council on Tuesday scheduled a public hearing for July 30 to discuss amending a moratorium passed earlier this year that prohibited automated car wash businesses. The council passed the moratorium March 5. When the council met April 2, it heard from a group planning a car wash...
Why Lots of News Media Are Beating Up on Joe Biden
I honestly don’t believe nefarious reasons are at work in the avalanche of news stories and commentaries about Joe Biden’s mental fitness. It comes instead from some conventional journalistic behaviors that are currently on steroids. The avalanche is measurable. Media Matters found that five major national publications wrote...
Opera Birmingham, Other Arts Groups Making Leadership Changes Ahead of Coming Season
Several of Birmingham’s premier arts organizations are making significant leadership changes ahead of their 2024-2025 seasons, shifts they say will position them for growth and continued community engagement. Opera Birmingham’s Keith Wolfe-Hughes is departing after serving as general director for nine years, the organization announced earlier this month. Board...
JeffCo Commissioner Tyson Objects After Two More Republicans Appointed to Board of Equalization
A disgruntled Commissioner Sheila Tyson left the Jefferson County Commission chamber Wednesday, saying, “the fix was in” after her nominee for the Board of Equalization failed to get the support of her fellow commissioners. The commission reconvened its meeting from last Thursday to address the appointment of two...
Birmingham Council Waits on Budget Amendments as New Spending Plan Remains in Limbo
The March computer network disruption that interfered with the city of Birmingham’s operations for weeks caused further confusion Tuesday, with the City Council voting to delay approval of several budget amendments. Because of the network disruption — which several news agencies have reported as a ransomware attack — city...
UAB Prez: Purchase of Ascension St. Vincent’s to Ensure Health-Care Access
The UAB Health System is set to take over Ascension St. Vincent’s Health System properties in Central Alabama in a $450 million deal officials said would ensure continuing quality health care for people in Birmingham and surrounding communities. The system’s board of trustees unanimously approved the acquisition during a...
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The Alabama Initiative for Independent Journalism is a non-profit, non-partisan organization serving the civic good of Birmingham and Alabama by supporting journalism that makes a difference and citizen engagement with news that is fair, factual, unflinching and focused on important matters.
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